Big Qual

This upper level textbook presents a brand new approach to large scale qualitative analysis - the pioneering breadth-and-depth method. It will enable students and teachers of social research methods to deploy "big qual" as a distinct research methodology. After gaining a comprehensive overview of the rationale for, and value of, large-scale qualitative data analysis, the book takes readers through four stages of using "big qual" in their research.
When social scientists think about big data, they often think in terms of quantitative datasets that can be analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions. The growing availability of large qualitative data sets, through archiving and other forms of data sharing, presents new and exciting opportunities internationally for qualitative research. Pooling multiple qualitative data sets enhances the possibility of theoretical generalisability by increasing the diversity and size of samples. This can, in turn, strengthen claims from qualitative research about understanding how social processes work.
The book will appeal to all students and researchers with a stake in the use of qualitative data, regardless of discipline and methodological background. Given the continued rise of big data and the evolving possibilities it offers the humanities and social sciences, this book will be a must-have resource, building capacity in the UK and internationally and provoking new and exciting ways of thinking about qualitative research and its analysis.